Reykjavík Grapevine - nov 2019, Qupperneq 18

The Reykjavík G
rapevine
Best of Iceland 2019
18 BEST OF ICELAND 2019
South
Beautiful, and needs a little time...
Best Museum/Gallery
LAVA Centre
Hvolsvöllur
There’s a huge range of museums in South Iceland, from old-time folky
town museums, to exciting technology museums. The Lava Centre is
one of the latter, boasting engaging interactive displays and ingenious
visualisations of Iceland’s volatile geography. “The museum displays ex-
citing and interactive scientific information from knowledgeable Icelandic
volcanologists,“ said the panel. A memorable highlight is a huge model
of the glowing tectonic rift below the country, which really puts things in
perspective. Map square: H4
Runner Up
Eldheimar
Gerðisbraut 10, Vestmannaeyjabær
Well-conceived, entertaining and inform-
ative, this modern museum focuses on
the Westman Islands’ eruption of 1973.
Indeed, it’s built around two houses that
were half-buried in molten lava. Interactive
displays show the spread of lava over the
island, and video footage from the time
brings the disaster to life. H5
Runner Up
Listasafn Árnesinga
Austurmörk 21, Hveragerði
The Listasafn Árnesinga art museum brings
local and international contemporary art to
Hveragerði year round. It’s a beautiful white
space, with carefully curated shows that
are always worth a look. “They have the
best exhibitions,” said the panel. “There’s
always something interesting to see—and
there’s a lovely café there as well.” F2
Best Café
Friðheimar
Reykholt
The wonderful Fríðheimar is a café expe-
rience like no other. Located inside a large
tomato greenhouse, it’s a verdant haven
where you can taste soups, pasta sauc-
es and Bloody Marys that are as fresh as
possible. There’s a bread buffet to fill up
on, and basil plants on the table to garnish
your delicious homegrown tomato soup.
Eating amongst the vines rejuvenates your
mind, body and spirit. Book ahead—it’s a
very popular stop on the Golden Circle. H2
Runner Up
Suður Vík
Suðurvegur 1, Vík
Perched on the hillside in Vík is this won-
derful homely café. “It’s a great spot for a
mid-journey meal,” said the panel. “The
service is friendly and the menu has some-
thing for everyone.” The raftered upstairs
dining room overlooks the famous sea
stacks below. K5
Newcomer
Farmers Bistro
Garðastígur 8, Flúðir
At Farmers Bistro, you can get a tour of the
facilities of Iceland’s only mushroom farm,
learning about mycelium, hyphae, fertiliza-
tion and waste-free practices. Best of all,
the adjoining café boasts a stellar menu.
Everything is locally grown and completely
fresh, and the prices are outstanding, espe-
cially for Iceland. G2
Best Bar
Ölverk
Breiðamörk 2, Hveragerði
Brew-pubs are popping up all around
Iceland, but nobody does it better than
the cosy and welcoming Ölverk Pizza &
Brewery. Whether you’re dropping by for
a quick pint of their house-brewed beer—
made just metres from the tap—or you’re
a beer nerd who wants the full tour of their
steam-powered facilities, Ölverk is a fan-
tastic boon for Hveragerði. The pizzas are
great, so it’s an ideal lunch or dinner stop,
too. The designated driver has our pity. F2
Runners Up
The Brothers Brewery
Vestmannaeyjabær
Started by a couple of friends and their
brothers in 2012, this small brewery has
started pumping out a selection of great
small-batch beers and recently expanded
into bottling. It's a friendly, genial experi-
ence and they offer a tour-and-tasting for
a great price. H5
Newcomer
Smiðjan
Vík í Mýrdal
Smiðjan is a year-old brewpub with ten
beers on tap and an impressively exten-
sive craft-beer bottle menu. The interior
is crisp, but with a grungy edge, and you
can see the brewing facilities through a
glass wall at the back. They also have a
solid bar food menu and they’re open till
midnight. K5